Any recommendation for a 5.1 AV receiver with free internet radio?

[Speedhump]

Hi all,

 

My Onkyo has finally given up the ghost and so I need a replacement. My budget is definitely under 20,000 baht and I need something that will drive my floorstanding Klipsch speakers, so say 80 to 120 watts RMS per channel.

 

I've checked online with Power Buy, Lazada, Shopee and so on but the quoted specs never give enough information.

 

I believe the internet radio app has to be included in the receiver's firmware? 

 

Thanks for any help!

 

 

[bangsaenguy]

Piyanas should have  what you need.

https://www.piyanas.com/

[Speedhump]

11 hours ago, bangsaenguy said:

Piyanas should have  what you need.

https://www.piyanas.com/

Thanks. I'll give them a call if no-one has any actual models they can point me at.

 

Hey, you've made 666 posts. You little devil, you.

[recom273]

If budget is an issue, have you thought about musicbox on a raspberry pi and plug it into a receiver ? You select the stations from a web based GUI on your phone or tablet.

 

I have a few around the house connected to a receiver and a couple of amps running Volumio - the onboard sound isn’t good enough, you either need a sound card / DAC or a DAC hat for the pi. 

[Jai Dee]

This page from Piyanas should give you all the information you need regarding makes, models, and specifications.

 

20K baht is probably the bottom end of the spectrum... for another 10K you would be able to get a very nice networked multi-channel AV receiver.

[KannikaP]

Most internet radio apps only stream music in stereo at 128kb/s. Connect via your phone or PCs sound card and into a power amp. All controls will be on the sound card software.

[Speedhump]

On 12/8/2020 at 8:51 PM, recom273 said:

If budget is an issue, have you thought about musicbox on a raspberry pi and plug it into a receiver ? You select the stations from a web based GUI on your phone or tablet.

 

I have a few around the house connected to a receiver and a couple of amps running Volumio - the onboard sound isn’t good enough, you either need a sound card / DAC or a DAC hat for the pi. 

Thanks that's an interesting solution, but a bit Heath-Robinson for the wife to operate (or look at!). 

[Speedhump]

12 hours ago, Jai Dee said:

This page from Piyanas should give you all the information you need regarding makes, models, and specifications.

 

20K baht is probably the bottom end of the spectrum... for another 10K you would be able to get a very nice networked multi-channel AV receiver.

Yes I thought that seems the case. 30k minimum. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet. 

 

Thanks. I'll need to choose one with a good Internet radio app I suppose (with a huge number of stations), and a service that will definitely still be around in a few years time? You can only have what's on the receiver firmware I think, you can't tinker with it yourself? 

[Speedhump]

12 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Most internet radio apps only stream music in stereo at 128kb/s. Connect via your phone or PCs sound card and into a power amp. All controls will be on the sound card software.

I need a nice tidy living room friendly solution. I think the wife will accept a replacement A/V receiver only! 

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Speedhump said:

I need a nice tidy living room friendly solution. I think the wife will accept a replacement A/V receiver only! 

You mean one of those bloody big black things advertised on Piyanas?   LOL

[recom273]

3 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Thanks that's an interesting solution, but a bit Heath-Robinson for the wife to operate (or look at!). 

Looking at the piyanas page, none of those receivers have DAB - doing a bit of reading suggests it’s a thing of the past - seems like streaming audio is the way to go, my receiver has spotify, my wife tells Alexa what to play and the receiver responds automatically.

Here is a screenshot of musicbox GUI - seems pretty straightforward to me, not dissimilar from navigating Facebook.

 

[Techno Viking]

27 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

You mean one of those bloody big black things advertised on Piyanas?   LOL

 

Yeah I reckon he's after one or them.

 

I recently purchased one from Piyana's, Now to get some better speakers !!

 

https://www.piyanas.com/product/2825/RX-A880BLACK?cat_id=6

[Techno Viking]

19 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Looking at the piyanas page, none of those receivers have DAB - doing a bit of reading suggests it’s a thing of the past - seems like streaming audio is the way to go, my receiver has spotify, my wife tells Alexa what to play and the receiver responds automatically.

Here is a screenshot of musicbox GUI - seems pretty straightforward to me, not dissimilar from navigating Facebook.

 

 

 

I purchased a yamaha one, plays spotify and all that, would love an Alexa... are they available in Thailand ?

[recom273]

39 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

 

I purchased a yamaha one, plays spotify and all that, would love an Alexa... are they available in Thailand ?

Yup you can buy the on Lazada, 150l0B - not too sure if they are official.

 

Sorry, wife just woke, she uses Siri not alexa to run a shortcut that  I cobbled together, it switches on tv and receiver, sets receiver to Spotify and then opens the Spotify app on her phone. I think you need a Yamaha receiver with Alexa to get the full benefits.
ETS: which you have, damn! Let me know if it works!

 

I have another computer running Homebridge, the Amazon echo behaves just like a HomePod, but it’s a fun piece of kit - mine reads the bbc in the morning on a motion sensor in the kitchen, tells you when your Amazon delivery will arrive, switches on lights, fans and AC, turns on/off lights when it thinks we are away from home for long lengths of time, etc.

 

I bought a selection Polk Audio speakers, I think if you are on a “budget” then they are worth a look. I chose a sub bass unit from a different range. I’m really happy with them for the price, around 35K.

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

You mean one of those bloody big black things advertised on Piyanas?   LOL

She approved the Onkyo before (Well, I had already bought it, with the huge Klipsch speaker system) so I think I'm OK. What she hates is anything that looks boffinish, or wires showing. ????

[Speedhump]

55 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Looking at the piyanas page, none of those receivers have DAB - doing a bit of reading suggests it’s a thing of the past - seems like streaming audio is the way to go, my receiver has spotify, my wife tells Alexa what to play and the receiver responds automatically.

Here is a screenshot of musicbox GUI - seems pretty straightforward to me, not dissimilar from navigating Facebook.

 

Internet radio isn't DAB, it is streaming media, I don't want DAB actually. As far as Internet radio goes I think I read that one manufacturer has the tunein.com app built into their firmware. That's a good one which I think won't disappear anytime soon. 

 

Otherwise I guess I could just buy a small Internet radio (like the Ocean Digital Internet Radio) and hook it up to the receiver wirelessly (I'll read up), but then its two boxes! ????

[Speedhump]

51 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

 

 

I purchased a yamaha one, plays spotify and all that, would love an Alexa... are they available in Thailand ?

That's the sort of thing I want, yes, with a free streaming radio service (I don't mind the station ads). I don't think there's a free Spotify option, or maybe I'm wrong?

 

(actually scrub that, I want an Internet radio app which has thousands of stations to choose from, each of which have their own  playlists - tunein.com for example). 

[recom273]

12 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

That's the sort of thing I want, yes, with a free streaming radio service (I don't mind the station ads). I don't think there's a free Spotify option, or maybe I'm wrong?

 

(actually scrub that, I want an Internet radio app which has thousands of stations to choose from, each of which have their own  playlists - tunein.com for example). 

Check your TV - mine has the tunein app, then control via your tv remote.

 

Spotify has a free and paid service.

[Speedhump]

22 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Check your TV - mine has the tunein app, then control via your tv remote.

 

Spotify has a free and paid service.

Thanks, that's good advice! 

[Encid]

I bought the Marantz SR-5014 about 6 months ago for just under 30K... and am very happy with it.

 

You can stream music or listen to internet radio from all leading music services and control the SR-5014 with voice control compatibility via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri.

 

If you have local music libraries on your smart phone or tablet, or on a networked hard drive, the SR-5014 lets you stream your favorite audio tracks wirelessly via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

 

And you can't beat the 4K video and digital sound processing capability.

 

Setup was so simple with the Marantz Audyssey MultEQ XT for seamless setup of your listening environment.

 

I highly recommend it.

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Otherwise I guess I could just buy a small Internet radio (like the Ocean Digital Internet Radio) and hook it up to the receiver wirelessly (I'll read up), but then its two boxes! ????

Why not just get a cheap Android media box? You'd not only get all the internet radio stations but streaming video channels as well. Moreover, you can stream your own video files, desktop, and photo gallery. Can control w/ separate remote, optional wireless keyboard & mouse, phone, or computer. Could save a lot on the stereo amp. 

[Encid]

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

Why not just get a cheap Android media box?

Actually I have one of those too which is connected via HDMI2 cable to one of the HDMI input ports on the AV receiver, which I use to play my media file library as well as stream media from the internet.

 

The receiver uses HDMI eARC Object-Based Audio Support or eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) which supports the transmission of immersive audio from the TV to the receiver (via HDMI2) and then to the speakers, which means that I can cast YouTube videos from my phone to the TV and have the sound playback on my surround speakers... or I can simply use the TV to connect directly to YouTube instead.

 

All components are hard-wired networked, but casting requires WiFi or Bluetooth.

 

The OP mentioned that his Onkyo AV receiver had died so he needs something to drive his speakers too. A simple amplifier will not give him what he needs in terms of functionality.

 

I suggest that the OP contacts one of the Piyanas stores and arranges a suitable time for a demo... nothing like seeing and hearing the real thing in action!

 

[BigStar]

19 minutes ago, Encid said:

Actually I have one of those too which is connected via HDMI2 cable to one of the HDMI input ports on the AV receiver, which I use to play my media file library as well as stream media from the internet.

 

The receiver uses HDMI eARC Object-Based Audio Support or eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) which supports the transmission of immersive audio from the TV to the receiver (via HDMI2) and then to the speakers, which means that I can cast YouTube videos from my phone to the TV and have the sound playback on my surround speakers... or I can simply use the TV to connect directly to YouTube instead.

 

All components are hard-wired networked, but casting requires WiFi or Bluetooth.

Just what I do and it works beautifully. I also have an SSD connected externally to the media box and transfer via FTP series and movies for offline viewing.

[Speedhump]

3 hours ago, BigStar said:

Why not just get a cheap Android media box? You'd not only get all the internet radio stations but streaming video channels as well. Moreover, you can stream your own video files, desktop, and photo gallery. Can control w/ separate remote, optional wireless keyboard & mouse, phone, or computer. Could save a lot on the stereo amp. 

I have a set top android box, have had for years. It will be plugged into the A/V receiver via HDMI. So if it can play Internet radio that's perfect. I never thought of that. Its a bit crappy controlwise, I can only connect either Bluetooth mouse or keyboard, as only one free USB slot (the other one's for a hard drive). Still, worth a thought, if I can save 10,000 Baht on the receiver I buy. I can try this out before I spend any money! Thanks. ????

[Encid]

4 minutes ago, BigStar said:

I also have an SSD connected externally to the media box and transfer via FTP series and movies for offline viewing.

 

A little bit off-topic but that's similar to what I do too.

I download media via my PC to a USB HDD, then plug that into the Android box... an SSD is not really need to playback media files, even 4K media with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X soundtracks.

I usually have about a week's viewing available on one HDD whilst I have another HDD connected to the PC for downloading.

 

The point is to have an optimal home theatre system that is networked and voice actuated is not that difficult nor expensive to build... provided you have the right gear as it's heart... the AV receiver.

[BigStar]

2 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

So if it can play Internet radio that's perfect.

Indeed it can. You can use a dedicated app, a music player app like AIMP, or a radio plugin for, say, Kodi. I listen via my box sometimes or if I'm out on my Android tablet. Needless to say you can also play your own music files.

[BigStar]

32 minutes ago, Encid said:

 

A little bit off-topic but that's similar to what I do too.

I download media via my PC to a USB HDD, then plug that into the Android box... an SSD is not really need to playback media files, even 4K media with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X soundtracks.

I usually have about a week's viewing available on one HDD whilst I have another HDD connected to the PC for downloading.

 

The point is to have an optimal home theatre system that is networked and voice actuated is not that difficult nor expensive to build... provided you have the right gear as it's heart... the AV receiver.

Totally agreed. I've used HDD in the past then an SSD happened to become available owing to an upgrade. Hasn't made any discernible difference. ???? 

 

My box, however, inputs directly to my TV(s) via HDMI, then the TV outputs sound to a small amp via the external speakers jack. I've downsized from my Big Iron days.???? Now I did buy a set of speakers from Piyanas. Really like that outfit and I love browsing around in the store.

 

Faster than sneakernet or FTP is to share a folder from your PC (could be from external drive of course) and play files from there. My limited tested indicates it works fine. I guess force of habit and the elimination of the network as a possible cause for any playback problems keeps me from changing over.

[Speedhump]

6 hours ago, Encid said:

 

A little bit off-topic but that's similar to what I do too.

I download media via my PC to a USB HDD, then plug that into the Android box... an SSD is not really need to playback media files, even 4K media with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X soundtracks.

 

Exactly what I do, I find the STB is fine except for playing some large .mkv files, say 4GB and over. Also it doesn't have a codec for playing a few .mkv files but simple to download a different file. 

[Speedhump]

THANKS TO EVERYONE who replied with help and advice. Great people here.

 

The answer I needed is from BigStar, as I already have an Android STB. I've put Radio Player from Audals on it, as it's free and has many thousands of worldwide stations. 128 kbps, but good enough for my puroses.

 

Now to buy my cheapo 20,000 Baht A/V receiver, hook up all my Klipsches (except the bass box which is beyond repair, no parts available any more, and the sound is truly frightening anyway) and blast the neighbours eardrums to kingdom come (not really ????).

 

????

[Speedhump]

18 hours ago, BigStar said:

Indeed it can. You can use a dedicated app, a music player app like AIMP, or a radio plugin for, say, Kodi. I listen via my box sometimes or if I'm out on my Android tablet. Needless to say you can also play your own music files.

That was exactly what I need. I guess I'm too old to think around all the options now. I've set it up and it's perfect for my purposes. Thanks.